Norwood High Football Overcomes Early Deficit to Defeat Framingham South-November 5, 1963

Bill Bender’s Sideline Splash Sparks Mustangs’ 28-Point Comeback

In a game filled with high drama, sideline heroics, and a final quarter played in near-total darkness, the Norwood High School football team stormed back from an early 14-point deficit to defeat winless Framingham South 28-14 yesterday afternoon.

Framingham South jumped out to a surprise 8-0 lead in the first quarter after recovering a Norwood fumble on the 14-yard line, which quarterback Donnelly converted into a 1-yard touchdown sneak. The Flyers extended their lead to 14-0 midway through the second quarter when Dick Natichone broke loose for a stunning 67-yard touchdown run, sending the Framingham sidelines into celebration.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically following a memorable moment involving Norwood’s standout 200-pound quarterback, Bill Bender. While running along the sidelines, Bender was hit by two Framingham defenders and sent flying toward the opposing bench, making a hard landing directly on the Flyers’ water bucket—completely flattening it into something resembling a frying pan and soaking the Framingham squad.

Norwood vs. Framingham South Game Statistics & Scoring

Norwood Mustangs

Rushing Yards: 234 yards
Passing Yards: 65 yards
First Downs: 16

Framingham South Flyers

Rushing Yards: 102 yards
Passing Yards: 80 yards
First Downs: 5

Scoring Breakdown

1st Quarter (Framingham): Donnelly 1-yard QB sneak after fumble recovery; Dick Natichone conversion run. (0-8)
2nd Quarter (Framingham): Natichone 67-yard touchdown run. (0-14)
2nd Quarter (Norwood): End **Mike Carney** takes over at QB for Bender and gallops 46 yards for a touchdown. (6-14)
2nd Quarter (Norwood): Bender fires a screen pass to **Bob DeRose** on the 35-yard line; DeRose weaves through defenders for a touchdown. Bender plunges through the line for the 2-point conversion. (14-14)
3rd Quarter (Norwood): Norwood marches from Framingham’s 47; DeRose scores on a 5-yard run. (20-14)
3rd Quarter (Norwood): Norwood scores again to build a lead. (26-14)
4th Quarter (Norwood): **Vito Anello** breaks away for a 35-yard touchdown run. (28-14)

DeRose and Anello Seal Victory as Darkness Falls

Following Carney’s 46-yard touchdown sprint and DeRose’s score off Bender’s screen pass to knot the game 14-14 at halftime, Norwood asserted total dominance in the second half. DeRose added a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter to cap off a drive that started at Framingham’s 47-yard line.

In the fourth quarter, with the late autumn afternoon turning into dusk, Norwood’s Vito Anello punctuated the win with a 35-yard touchdown run. The final minutes of the match were played in complete darkness as the clock hit 5:00 p.m., leaving Norwood victorious and keeping Framingham South winless on the season, as reported by Lou Molinari for The Patriot Ledger.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger